Archive for category Health

I have never felt so much adrenaline right off the bat as I did in the Skirt Chaser 5k. The race took off from Sports Authority Field at Mile High Saturday evening. Ladies started the race and three minutes later the guys took off. Let the chase begin!

Of course, in my wildest dreams my shoes would scurry across the finish line before the boys caught up. In an attainable dream, I wanted to make it the one mile mark before one of the tough guys passed me. Didn’t happen…but it sure made me push harder. Plus, I figured my new Wonder Dress compliments of Skirt Sports would give me the need for speed!

Following the finsh was one heckuva expo! Local food companies such as LOVE burritos, Justin’s Nut Butter, Rush Bowls, White Girl Salsa and Sosi’s Dips all sampled fabulous made from scratch products. Avery Beer also provided two brews to each participant that was 21 plus. Other vendors sported deals on everything from innovative water bottles and stylish running belts to hold essential items while you are on the pavement. Plus, ‘That 80’s band,’ rocked the house down long after our heart rates came down from the chase.

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If you missed this years event you can still check out http://www.skirtsports.com/ to find hip gear from running skirts, vests and even rockin’ dresses!

10,000 anxious runners lined up across a start line in Denver’s City Park all wearing similar attire on May 26th. White shirts are must if you are participating in the Color Run. Speakers jammed with upbeat music on a beautiful Colorado day to welcome runners to the happiest 5k on the planet. The event was not timed- fun overrides score keeping.

At each 1k mark runners roll through a color zone and are drenched with a powdery substance. By the end of the race runners were splashed with turquoise, purple, yellow, pink and green. After crossing the finish line runners celebrated thier new vibrant style in front of a jam packed stage. Runners danced to music and reached high to grab individual bags packed with more powdered color. On cue, those with bags in hand sprayed the color into the air sprinkling the crowd with more shades.

Proceeds of Denver’s Run will help color the world of patients at Children’s Hospital.

Take part in a research study guided by the National Institute of Health

Expedition Health at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science takes a hands on approach to explain how the human body works. The exhibit’s theme, personal to Colorado, shows how the body adapts climbing to the summit of a 14,000 foot peak. At the beginning of the exhibit, you will choose an expedition buddy who was monitored while climbing Mount Evans. Through their real life experiences you will learn about exercise physiology and heart rate.

You will also have the chance to engage in interactive activities that show how your own body reacts to physical activity and climate change. At the entrance you are given a card to track your body’s reactions during activities like peddling on a bicycle.

Another section is Biology Basecamp, where visitors put on lab coats to play the part of a scientist. After taking a cheek swab you can look at your own cells through a microscope. Visitors can also test common breakfast cereals for protein and sugar content.

You can also take part in a research study called The Genetics of Taste. The study tests if your genes play a role in your ability to taste a bitter substance called propylthiouracil.

Here are the steps to taking part in the study.

1. Fill out a quick questionnaire

2. Swap your cheek for a DNA Sample

3. Taste a thin piece of paper to see if you can taste the propylthiouracil- a bitter substance

4. Measure height and weight

5. Paint your tongue blue! By doing this the taste buds stay pink so researchers can count them after taking a picture.

This coming Sunday you can bend, stretch and contort into yoga poses in Denver’s Great Outdoors. Yoga Rocks the Park is kicking off it’s 4th season at the Sunken Gardens at 9:30 a.m. while the birds are still chirping. Yoga Rocks the Park is scheduled at various Denver parks through September 16. Each week a different musician accompanies the yoga practice as well as a new teacher.

The creator of Yoga Rocks the Park, Erik Vienneau, calls outdoor yoga a grassroots movement. When he started the program four years ago he wasn’t sure that anyone would show up. “I was amazed to see people walking towards me with yoga mats ,” says Vienneau. About thirty people showed up for the first event. Now, numbers reach into the hundreds.

“It feeds the need. It’s bigger than yoga. People are here to connect.” reveals Vienneau.

5 reasons to give outdoor yoga a go.

1.It will invigorate your practice and shake you from a routine studio.

2. Outdoor classes add a new dimension by bringing yoga back to it’s original link with nature.

The Rugged Maniac in Lakewood, CO reached new heights and shattered a record in the process. Temperatures fell below 50 degrees F. making this race the coldest Rugged Maniac penciled into the books. The rain fell fast and steady, matching the heart beats of thousands of racers anxiously awaiting the start. BANG! And we were off, slipping, sliding, grinding with every bit of grit and determination we could muster to attack this Rugged Maniac!

Rolling dirt hills became muddy terrain providing no traction for racers. Rain soaked ropes meant to help racers summit steep hills became so slick they were tough to grip. Splashing into pools to maneuver over lap lanes sent chills down participant’s mud covered bodies.

The Rugged Maniac is in the running for the toughest obstacle Run, With a course jam packed with obstacles racers have no time to catch their breath before it’s time to face a new fear. One of the most unique obstacles is the Normandy climb. Dive into underground tunnels with no lights or sound seeping through. After you make your way back onto ground, get ready for more.

Missed Colorado? To sign up for other nation-wide events visit Rugged Maniac.com

Rule number one of the Tough Mudder- it’s a challenge not a race. This challenge has made a bold name for itself as one of the biggest and baddest. In fact, only 80% of participants finish. The course tests teamwork, toughness, fitness, strength and mental grit. Time is not of the essence- there is not even a clock to time participants. The point is to promote teamwork and camaraderie. Finishing is a victory in it’s own right.

About the course: Distances range between 10 and 12 miles and are spiced up with challenges and obstacles. Although the exact challenges for each event are different- expect hills, mud, water, ropes, walls and a dance over fire. You will also come face to face with fears- whether it’s heights, claustrophobia or running through electrical wires. Yes, electrical wires. ZZZAAAP!How did the Tough Mudder get so tough? The CEO of the company, Will Dean, was in Harvard Business School when he started visioning the race. A college professor snuffed his idea, telling people would shy away from participating if the race wasn’t timed. With fire still burning, he decided to keep on keeping on and put on a race in Allentown, PA in 2010. He didn’t quite meet his goal of 400 participants. Turns out, he far exceed it when over 5,000 people showed up to claim Tough Mudder status.
Since the inaugural race, the numbers of participants continues to grow so quickly it’s hard to keep up. This year, there are 35 scheduled events. With an ambitious team behind Tough Mudder, they thought why not double it? That’s right, next years slate includes 70 events including every state and several other countries.Oldies but Goodies:
If you are 80 years or older you race for free! Tough Mudder was so inspired after an 81-year-old man rocked the course and will be back out again this year.

Yogis stretched out their mats at Wit’s End Brewery on Saturday to bliss out. Turns out, yoga followed by beer is becoming a new trend. Charles Ferentchak masterminded the idea of “Brewasana’ to promote one his favorite breweries, yoga teachers and a good cause.
Ferentchak works for Boulder based Rally Software, a company that requires employees to give back. “One percent of our time is meant to do community good,” says Ferentchak. His volunteer time has already been clocked for the year but he has the bug to keep doing more. “It’s really more empowering than tiring. We put this together less than a week before and I think we had a great turnout,” reveals Ferentchak.
Twenty people showed up with a $15 donation (benefits Same Café) ready to drink up after stretching out. Let be honest, a brewery in an industrial park isn’t the most romantic place for yoga. But with the calmness and consciousness Brittany Belisle brings to her classes you will find yourself in a yoga groove, forgetting the brewery atmosphere. Well, until it’s time to redeem a drink ticket for a microbrew.
It’s not just veteran yogi’s that are throwing out handstands and full wheels either. Belisle sees Brewasana as a wonderful way for newbie’s to hit the mat. “Yoga can be intimidating. Breweries not as intimidating.”
With the success of the event Brewery owner Scott Witsoe, Ferentchak and Belisle are thinking of making it a monthly tradition. So long as yogis come out of shavasana before beer clubs and brewery lovers file in.